The HR Connection

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MPERS - Return to the Office

During the worst of the pandemic, MPERS' staff remained available to assist you while working remotely for the last 15 months. We are pleased to inform you that we have returned to working in the office and have established new procedures that support our "new normal." MPERS' staff was challenged to make adjustments in how we work and communicate with our members and each other, which has proven successful in maintaining our efficiency and productivity; therefore, moving forward we plan to continue supporting some of these practices.

Although we still encourage virtual counseling sessions when possible, MPERS has returned to in-person visits by appointment only. To ensure the safety of all those involved, MPERS has implemented the following changes:

MPERS' office will be open for appointments Monday - Friday, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Our office will close daily from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm.
Anyone wishing to come to the office should schedule an appointment ahead of time, where possible.
We ask that members who have made an appointment, limit to bringing only one guest (when needed).
MPERS will be following CDC guidelines, including the wearing of masks by unvaccinated individuals and social distancing when possible.

Because meeting space is limited, it is very important to notify your employees who may be interested in meeting in person of the new guidelines in place at MPERS.

Thank you for your assistance to help us safely transition back to in-person meetings.

Update to Notice of Retirement - Reminder

As a reminder, detailed information on this topic was provided to you several weeks ago in a separate email. In order to maintain compliance with IRS requirements for reemployment after retirement, MPERS now requires members to attest on the Notice of Retirement that there is no prearrangement with the employer to return to work after retirement. This attestation requirement was effective May 1, 2021. The Notice of Retirement has been updated accordingly.

Please discard old versions or copies you may have. We will no longer be accepting Notice of Retirement forms that do not include the attestation.

It is imperative that members receive and complete the correct form to avoid missing a deadline.

2011 Tier Interest for Employee Contributions

We will be crediting interest to the 2011 Tier members' account balance around mid July, after the June 30, 2021 pay period has been processed. In order for those members to receive interest on their employee contributions, they must be actively employed or vested on the last working day in June. The interest rate for June 30, 2021, is 0.157% and is applied to the contribution balance as of July 1, 2020. As a reminder, interest is no longer credited once a non-vested employee terminates or a vested member retires or passes away.

FY 2022 Contribution Rates

Employer contribution and disability premium rates for civilian and uniformed members effective July 1, 2021, are as follows:

Employer Contributions:

Disability Premiums:

Total Contributions:

57.525%

0.475%

58.000%

MPERS' Pre-Retirement and Mid-Career Seminars

There are members who registered to attend webinars and then contacted us to state they are unable to participate due to a change in their schedule - we understand and are flexible. For those members who are disappointed by the upset, we want to impress upon our HR contacts that the pre-retirement webinars for Closed Plan and Year 2000 Plan are scheduled monthly, and the 2011 Tier is offered bi-annually. Mid-career webinars have been a successful addition to our retirement education efforts and are offered to Closed Plan, Year 2000 Plan, and 2011 Tier members.

The live webinars are recorded and available for viewing on the Pre-Retirement Seminar page and the Mid-Career Checkup page of www.mpers.org, in the event a member does not wish to wait until the next scheduled live webinar.

If a member contacts about the inability to attend a webinar, please share the expanded schedule and the option to view previously recorded webinars to ensure we meet all retirement planning needs. For your convenience, the list of important dates to remember for the upcoming scheduled webinars is below.

Important Dates to Remember...

The HR Connection is a quarterly newsletter for benefits, payroll & HR staff of MoDOT and the Highway Patrol and is used to relay important dates and information, as well as provide clarity to policies or procedures.

Please contact Angel Backes to add or remove staff from this distribution list or if you have suggestions or topics to improve this newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!

www.mpers.org